The development of medical devices, drugs and treatments dependents on accurate data concerning the condition of a subject. For example, to develop a cardiac pacemaker or a implantable defibrillator, it is necessary to acquire information about the electrical functioning of the heart and about the response of the heart to stimuli of various kinds. This data may be acquired using animal test subjects. Although such testing is necessary, it should be conducted with a minimum of trauma and without multiple surgeries. Moreover, chronic exposure of leads or other connections through the skin should be avoided. It should be possible, from time to time, to make electrical connections with an implanted device so that accurate data can be acquired.
Similar considerations also apply to testing using implanted sensors or testing for the effects of drugs on the test subject.
It has been an object of our invention, therefore, to provide an apparatus which permits transcutaneous electrical connections to be made from time to time.
It has also been an object of our invention to provide such an apparatus which minimizes repetitive surgery, and which avoids chronic exposure of transcutaneous electrical connectors.